Electric switch



March 14, M. MORTENSON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 8, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l A Mafia-@2432 ,4:

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Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED. STATES GUITLV I. lemma, wmnr, rmmvnnaELECTRIC SWITCH Application fled April 1, 1m. Serial I0. 353,537.

The invention aims primarily to provide an exceptionally simple andinexpensive yet an eflicient switch which may be easily attached to theusual upstanding mount of an automobile gear shift lever in position tobe controlled by said lever, to the extent of being closed when thelever is moved for reversing. Hence, the switch may be advantageouslyconnected with a backing light and w enever the ar shift lever is thrownto reversing position, the backing light will be automaticallyilluminated.

In carrying out the above end, further objects are to provide uniquefeatures of switch construction and unique attaching means for theswitch casing.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subjectmatter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplishedby reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a si e elevation showing the invention applied.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line2-2 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section substantially on line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the correspondingl numberedline of Fi 5.

The drawings a ve briefly describef illustrate the preferred form ofconstruction and while such construction will be herein specifically exlained, it is to be understood t at within t e scope of the invention asclaimed, variations may be made.

The numeral 7 on the drawings denotes a metal strap bent to rovide aband which is adapted to surroun mount M for an automobile gear s iftlever L, the ends 8-9 of said strap being extended outwardly. in s acedparallel relation. The inner side 0 the band 7 is provided with a ratherthick lining 10 of rubber or other resilient material which is adapted,upon tight contraction of the strap or band, to conform to any taperwhich the mountMmay 21-22 are accessible for connecting the usual ustanding.

To connect the band necessary size to which the band or stra 7 is bent.The casing 12 and the strap en 9 are also formed with suitable openingsthrough which the bolts 14 pass and it will be seen that when thesebolts are tightened, the casing will be solidly attached to the mount M.

One side wall of the casing 12 consists of a lower stationary section 15and an n per removable section 16. The lower end oi the section 16 abutsthe upper end of the section 15 and'is held against downward sliding bythe latter. Secured by rivets or the 75 like 17 to the inner side of theremovable section 16, is an insulatin block 18 which abuts the innersides of t e three adjacent walls of the casing 12, thereby holding thesection 16 against sliding in other directions. Outward movement of thissection 16 away from the casing, is prevented by a s ring yoke 19 havinghooked ends 20 snappe into openings in the casin When the yoke 19 I issprung and remov the section 16 is outwardly movable from the remainderof the casing, at which time two binding posts current conducting wires23. These binding posts are in electrical engagement with two springcontacts 24-25 respectively, which contacts are carried by theinsulating block 18 and project to a point near the opposite side of thecasing 12. When the contacts 24-25 are moved into engagement with eachother, an electric circuit is completed as will be readily understood.

The vertical s ides of the cats 12 which extend at right les to the side15-16, are formed with ed flatrsided slots 26. mo

A flat bar 27 passes across the interior of the casing and 1s slidablyengaged with these slots, and an insulating block 28 is secured by boltsor the like 29 to said bar. A coiled compression spring 30 surrounds oneend portion of the bar 27 acts against a shoulder 31 on this bar andre-acts against a side of the casing, to normally hold said bar in aposition at which the insulating block 28 strikes the opposite side ofthe casing as seen for instance in Fig. 3. When the b ock 28 is in thisposition, it is near the contact 24 and the latter is separated from thecontact 25, so that upon inward pushing of bar 27, these contacts willbe caused to engage each other to complete the circuit. The end of bar27 remote from spring 30, pro'ects beyond the casing 12 andis provided ya threaded terminal 32 locked in adjusted position by a lock nut 33.When the switch is applied to the machine, it is so set and the terminal32 so adjusted, that when lever L is in reversing position, the actuator27'28 will be in its inwardly moved position, holding the contact 24against contact 25. When in this position however, the actuator is notat its limit of movement and consequently is not solidly engaged withthe casing, so that there is no danger of exerting undue pressure uponthe latter when forcibly moving lever L to its reversing position.

It will be seen from the foregoing that simple and inexpensiveconstructionhas been provided, yet that such construction will be hi hlyeflicient in every way. desirable. When initially installing the switchor whenever necessary to have access to the binding posts 21-22, theside section 16 is bodily removed from the casing so that said bindingposts may readily be engaged with or disengaged from the wires asoccasion ma deman Thisovercomes a great deal of d-ifficulty which wouldotherwise be encountered in attempting to connect the wires within thecomparatively small casing. When plate 16 is applied, it is held a instdownward sliding y abutting the si e section 15, and is held againstforward, rearward or upward sliding by contact of the insulating block18 with the adjacent casing sides. This insulating block 18 thusperforms an important function in addition to acting as carrying meansfor the switch com posed of the contacts 24-25 and'the associated bindinposts. Then too, the ZlDSlllMi-' ing block 28 as a dual function, inthat it serves as means for moving the contacts 24-25 into engagementwith each other and as means for limiting the movement of the slide bar27 under the influence of the sprin 30. By providing a construction inwhic such multiple functions are assigned to elements, maximumsimplicity is attained and thgre are practiwlly no parts tg get'gqt ofor er.

While the details disclosed are preferably followed, attention is againinvited to the fact that variations may be made within the sccipe of theinvention as claimed.

claim 1. A switch comprising a casing having alined non-circularopenings in two opposed sides and a removable side section extendingbetween said sides,a non-circular bar slidably engaged with saidopenings and having an end projecting from the casing to be inwardlypushed, a spring in the casing acting on said bar in a direction to moveits projecting end outwardly, an in- .sulatin block in the casingsecured to said bar an normally abutting one of said sides of the casingto limit the movement of said bar under the influence of said spring,and a switch mounted on said removable side section of the casing, saidswitch having an actuating portion in the inward path of said insulatingblock.

2. A switch comprising a casing having one side wall fornied of a fixedsection and a removable section, said removable section abutting saidfixed section and being held against sliding in one direction thereby,an insulating bocksecured to the inner side of said removable sectionand abutting the inner sides of three walls of said casin to hold saidremovable section against sli ing in other directions, means for holdingsaid v removable section against outward movement from the casin aswitch carried by said insulating bloc the casing, and actuating meansfor said switch mounted in said casing and, having an actuating portionextending to the exterior of the latter.

3. In combination with a universally movable automobile gear shift leverand the conventional upstanding mount supporting said lever, a casingsecured to said mount and containing a switch, and an actuator for-saidswitch extending to the exterior of said casing, the outer end of saidactuator being disposed in a path of said gear shift lever.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixedmy si ature.

G STAV M. MORTENSON.

and projecting into' no I

